DIRECTED GAMMA RADIATION BEAM

A FEASIBILITY STUDY IS PROPOSED ON A NOVEL CONCEPT FOR A GENERATION OF A VERY LIGHTWEIGHT, HIGHLY FOCUSED GAMMA RADIATION BEAM USEFUL FOR MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS IN DEFENSE SUCH AS KILL OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS IN LAND WARFARE, AND (AS DESCRIBED HEREIN) DISCRIMINATION OF TARGETS IN SPACE. THE DEVICE IS SMALL ENOUGH TO "PIGGY BACK" ON THE PROPOSED REENTRY VEHICLE (RV) INTERCEPTOR MISSILES, OR BE CARRIED IN CONVENTIONAL ARTILLERY AND TANK PROJECTILES FOR USE IN LAND WARFARE. THIS CONCEPT UTILIZES AN EXPLOSIVELY COLLAPSED BETATRON TO GENERATE HIGH ENERGY ELECTRONS WHICH ARE THEN DIRECTED INTO A CONVERTER SHIELD COMPOSED OF DENSE METAL SUCH AS TANTALUM. THE KINETIC ENERGY OF THE ELECTRONS IS THEN CONVERTED TO GAMMA RADIATION WHICH IS PROJECTED FORWARD IN A HIGHLY FOCUSED, BEAM-LIKE GEOMETRY. ELECTRONIC KILL OR TARGET DISCRIMINATION OCCURS WHEN THE GAMMA RAYS PENETRATE INTO OBJECTS IN THEIR PATH, INTERACTING WITH THE ATOMIC STRUTURES OF THE TARGETS, THUS CAUSING DAMAGE AND MEASURABLE SECONDARY EMISSIONS. THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES USE OF THE DGRB IN THE EXOATMOSPHERIC DISCRIMINATION ROLE, ONE OF THE POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS FOR THIS DIRECTED ENERGY BEAM.